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No Mercy 1 - Arrival at Sea Port Yofa
The sun was quickly setting and the men of the dock were heading back to their homes for warm meals, happy families, and peaceful evenings. The nighttime air had been getting cooler as winter approached making for chilled bodies and numbed fingers, but the men of Yofa learned to work through the discomfort. The prospect of going home melted their hearts and restored warmth to their bones. It was hard work, but good work. One of the stevedores lingered at the dock to watch the sun disappear behind the horizon. His name was George. George was a younger man who lived alone and counted it as a blessing. No one would worry if he stayed behind to draw a long breath through his nostrils and smell the fresh air of the sea. No one would worry if stayed behind to dip his toes into the water. No one would worry. The sun had all but vanished when George stood up to take his leave. As he turned toward town he heard a distant sound. Spafford: '"Ooooooooooooiiiiiii!" '''George: '"Eh? What was that just now?" He returned his gaze to the gently ebbing waves and spotted a man on a skiff in the distance. It bore a red sail emblazoned with a golden cross. 'George: '"My word! I'm not hearing things. [shouting] Ahoy there! Are you in need of assistance?" 'Spafford: '[shouting back with a grin] "Always lad! Always!" The small vessel lazily hovered into port. George aided the man out of his boat and helped him steady the craft so that he could tie it down. After it had been firmly secured, the newly docked stranger struck up a conversation. 'Spafford: '"Lovely weather on the sea this evening, wouldn't you agree?" 'George: '"Yes it is," [his eyes dreamily explored the waters before he remembered a question he had for the man] "Say, friend, did you get dropped off by a ship passing by? The nearest island to here is a 3-day journey, and that's riding aboard an average merchant ship." '''Spafford: "I was not. It's just been the ship and I." George: [with a mounting sense of concern and bewilderment] "You traveled alone?" [pointing to the skiff] "On that?" Spafford: [raising his eyebrow] "Hmm? Indeed! I've most certainly been traveling alone. There's not much space on the Little Jonah for stowaways, or even extra passengers for that matter. If anyone were along for the ride I'd know about it. Hummhummhumm! (his laughter style; a snicker; like hahaha except with the mouth closed)" George: [shocked] "Th-th-that's a 5-day journey across the Grand Line from the port in the Wheat Country!" Spafford: '"Wheat Country? Where's that?." '''George: '"Isn't that where your Log Pose readjusted to this island? Or do you have an eternal pose?" 'Spafford: 'his eyebrow again "I travel without ''a Log Pose." '''George: '[jaw dropped and eyes popping out] "EEEEEEHHHHH!?" 'Spafford: '"And by my count I've been traveling for... two weeks." 'George: '[falling to his knees in shock] "T-t-tw-two w-w-weeeeks!?" 'Spafford: '"Oh dear. I seem to have put you out of sorts. [leaning forward with his right hand gesturing towards George, open-palmed] Perhaps we can continue this conversation somewhere protected from the eleme--" The man's stomach growled loudly. '''George: [breaking from his previous comedic expression; pointing at the man] "Oi oi. You just want me to feed you." Spafford: '[''slightly embarassed with a placid grin; scratching the back of his head] "Well, if you're offering... Hummhummhumm!" 'George: '"I suppose it can't be helped. Yosh, come with me, um..." '''Spafford: "The name's Gregory Spafford. Pleased to meet you." ---- The path leading into the town was a moderately winding dirt road that snaked its way up a very slight incline. To the left and right were grassy fields that paralleled the shoreline about a mile each way. As the two men made their way towards Yofa, the path became increasingly dotted with apple trees. In fact, as they entered the community limits Spafford noticed that no house was without at least 3 apple trees immediately surrounding it. The town of Yofa was a modest arrangement of houses lining the main road. It defined the town with a prominant curve. From above, it looked like a horseshoe. The center of town was located directly on the bend of the horseshoe, which expanded into a large circular courtyard. At the heart of this plaza was an extraordinarily large apple tree towering at a height of 200 ft, with a trunk that was 15 ft in diameter. It's name was Umbrella Johnny. As the men passed through town, the navy-blue hue of the nighttime sky was washed away by the orange glow pouring out from the villager's windows. To not feel welcome in Yafo was a difficult task. The road narrowed and the welcoming glow faded the further they moved away from the town. George's home was just outside of the village limits. It was a simple log cabin that sat atop a hill. Beyond the hill the road continued winding up a thick, forested mountain that dominated the island's landscape. The view was exceptionally scenic--perfect for wide-eyed gazers like George. George and Spafford shared a meal of potato stew by the flickering light of lamps that hung about the cabin's walls. George had since calmed down from the previous conversation on the dock, but the discussion that continued was no less amazing. George: '"Karakuri Island? The same island where the reknowned Dr. Vegapunk was born?" '''Spafford: '"Aye, that's correct. I left my home around 10 years ago and have been venturing the Grand Line since." [Spafford let out a deep sigh and placed both of his hands on the table, putting down a book he'd been carrying since he arrived at the dock]. 'George: '[noticing the book] "Oi, that book. You've been holding onto it since I first saw you out on the water. What is it?" The book's hard leather cover was tattered and worn; its pages lightly ripped along the edges. It wasn't damaged, but its condition spoke of generations of use. Spafford pushed up his glasses and placed his right hand onto the book. His fingers traced the outline of the silver cross that decorated its faded, brown cover. 'Spafford: '"This is my Bible. It is an heirloom that's been passed through my family for years." 'George: '"Bi-ble? Bi-ble... Ah! Like the book that one of the Shichibukai carried?" 'Spafford: '"Oh, you must be referring to Bartholomew Kuma. Aye, from what I can tell it's the same book. He's the only other person I know of who carried one. It's a mysterious book indeed." 'George: '"If it's such a mysterious thing how did your family come into possession of it?" 'Spafford: '"The specifics I don't know. All I can say is that my family is a famiy of priests. As priests it is our task to serve and obey God, just like any other priest you may find in this world. The difference is we study this book, though we don't know from whence it came." 'George: '"Wait. You come from the same island as the Future Country... and yet you're a priest?" 'Spafford: '"Hummhummhumm! When you put it that way it does sound strange doesn't it? The scholars and scientists of the world have almost all dismissed the contents as nothing more than a fairytale, and I'll be honest, I can't blame them for thinking that way. The places and people, they don't exist in this world. And that's what makes these books so curious. They've been discovered in some of the most ancient ruins, yet they have nothing to do with the people who used to inhabit them. It's an ancient book from a historically nonexistent people. I'd say it's on par with the mystery of the Poneglyphs and Void Century." 'George: '"That's amazing. So you're traveling to study it?" Spafford's countenance turned from light-hearted to sullen. 'Spafford: '"I wish I could say that's the reason I left my home, but sadly it is not." 'George: '"O-oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring up any bad memories." 'Spafford: '"No, no. I'm the one who should apologize. I'm bringing sadness into the home of my host. What kind of guest am I? [unenthusiastically] Hummhumm... But, I suppose, it might help to talk about it. The reason I've been wandering the seas, the reason I've been exposing myself to the cruelty of the Grand Line, the reason I left Karakuri Island--the reason I don't have a home to return to--is because I'm hunting a monster." 'George: '[eyes widening] "M-monster?" 'Spafford: '"More appropriately, the Monstrous Demon of Karakuri. It's a soulless creature spawned from dangerous advances in technology. My village was off of the main radar of Marine jurisdiction, so when the monster decimated my home 10 years ago it was largely ignored by the world. People of the island thought it was the result of a tragic accident during an experiment, but that's simply not true. That creature caused everything--destroyed everything--and took away everything I loved in this world... including my wife, Mercy." [a tear streamed down his right cheek] "I know it fled from the island on that day, and I know it's still out there. I have to hunt it down and kill it. I can't let what happened to me happen to anyone else. It's my responsibility because I know about it. That's my conviction." 'George: '"That's... horrible. Spafford, I can't begin to understand what you're feeling in your heart, but don't hesitate to stay with me as long as you're in town. It may not be much, but while you're here you can call this your home." 'Spafford: '[wiping away the tear] "George... thank you. You've been a blessing to me from the beginning I won't forg--" Spafford's head immediately fell forward, loudly slamming against the table. He began snoring. '''George: [jaw dropped and eyes popping out] "HE FELL ASLEEP AFTER SUCH A SERIOUS STORY!" [he sighed and thought to himself] "Oi, George. You've certainly picked a strange man on which to enact your first act of hospitality. Hopefully you won't regret this. He doesn't seem like a man that trouble follows, but what can be said about someone who follows trouble? Ah well." George took a blanket and draped it over Spafford. He went to each lamp one-by-one, blew out the candles, and went to bed. The entire town of Yofa resigned to sleeping; the color of night claiming the courtyard. The moonlight danced on the leaves of Umbrella Johnny as an ocean breeze blew across the land. The fields waved back and forth, and the docks were hushed by the beating of waves along the shore. A 3-day's journey away was the nearest port city to Yafo. It's town was charred and smoldering after a great fire, it's bank and citizens were plundered, and the local militia lay in the streets injured. About half a day's journey away, out on the sea, was a ship flying a Jolly Roger. The flag boasted an oval-shaped, duck-billed skull with standard crossbones behind it. On the bow of the ship was the head of a platypus. Deck Hand: '"Oi Captain! I see the port of Yofa at 12 o'clock!" '''Captain Bons: '"Ehihihihihi! Marvelous! Men, sharpen the Super-Saw! Tomorrow I'll be taking the town by storm so you'll have to work hard to earn your cut! Ehihihihi! 'Pirate Crew: '"Ho, Captain!" '''Captain Bons: [to himself] "It's been a long time... Umbrella Johnny! Ehihihihihiiii!" ---- End Chapter 1: To Be Continued! Category:Stories Category:Gregory Spafford Category:Theholyepic Category:No Mercy